PARIS, France
Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernández Cascante (Rodri) won the men's Ballon d'Or and Barcelona playmaker Aitana Bonmati took the women's award as a "disrespected" Real Madrid boycotted the prestigious ceremony in Paris despite being named men's club of the year.
The 2024 Ballon d'Or was the
68th annual ceremony of the Ballon d'Or. It was presented by France Football
that recognized the best footballers in the world in the 2023–24 season.
It is the third time in the
history of the award, it has been given based on the results of the season
instead of the calendar year.
Rodri beat the Real Madrid
trio of Vinicius Junior, Dani Carvajal and Jude Bellingham to the top honour,
and that verdict from the 100-strong panel of voters led the delegation from
the Spanish giants to stay at home.
Responding to the
announcement, Vinicius posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: "I'll do it
10 times if I have to. They're not ready."
Rodri, who picked up an ACL
injury in September against Arsenal, enjoyed the standout season of his career
in 2023-24, winning a fourth consecutive Premier League title and lifting the
Euro 2024 trophy with Spain.
The 28-year-old won the Best
Player award from the tournament in Germany last summer despite being forced
off at half-time in the final against England.
He was helped onto the stage
after arriving on crutches, having been ruled out for the rest of the season.
The last time Rodri lost a
Premier League game was a 1-0 defeat at Tottenham in February 2023. He becomes
the first defensive midfielder to win the award, stretching back to 1956, while
he is the first Spaniard to do so since Luis Suarez of Barcelona in 1960.
Speaking in Spanish, Rodri
said: "I have so many things to thank people for. First of all to France
Football and to UEFA for giving me this award. I would like to thank those who
voted for me and put their trust in me. Today is a very special day for me and
for my family, my country.
"I would like to thank
the most important person in the world for me, my girlfriend Laura. Today is
our anniversary and without her things wouldn't have been the same. Thank you.
"Also my family, of
course. The values they have taught me and all they represent in me, for having
taught me the right steps to take and for helping me become the man I am.
English top-flight Ballon d'Or
winners
- 1956 - Stanley Matthews - Blackpool
- 1964 - Denis Law - Manchester United
- 1966 - Bobby Charlton - Manchester United
- 1968 - George Best - Manchester United
- 2001 - Michael Owen - Liverpool
- 2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester
United
- 2024 - Rodri - Manchester City
"I don't want to forget
my team-mates, I understand it is a group game. Manchester City is so special,
I know I wouldn't make this without you. For me it is the best club in the
world, and thanks to them things happen much easier.
"The national team and
Luis (de la Fuente, coach), for trusting me for so long, I have to mention my
team-mates with whom we won the Euros. This is not just for me but for Spanish
football."
The previous Premier League
player to receive the accolade was Cristiano Ronaldo, who was at Manchester
United in 2008 when he was crowned the winner.
Karim Benzema's win in 2022 - then a Real Madrid player - came after Ronaldo and Lionel Messi had won all but one of the previous 13 titles between them. Messi won the award for the eighth time last year after inspiring Argentina's World Cup heroics in Qatar.
Barcelona star Bonmati won
the women's Ballon d'Or award for a second year running.
The 26-year-old Barcelona
playmaker had been the clear favourite for the award after starring in both La
Liga F and the women's Champions League, in which Barcelona lifted the trophy
for the third time in four years last season.
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